


A few Good Souls

by SteveCaster



Category: Blake's 7
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-24
Updated: 2021-01-22
Packaged: 2021-02-23 00:49:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 12,387
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23803132
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SteveCaster/pseuds/SteveCaster
Summary: Gan's dead. How close is Blake to breaking?
Comments: 17
Kudos: 8





	1. Chapter 1

Nervously glancing over her shoulder, the mutoid pushed the data card into the computer's access slot. The room remained quiet; there was still no sign that she'd been discovered. As the console began whirring, she inserted a second disc into a smaller machine. She knew there was very little time, she had been delayed, and this would be her final window of opportunity. The data screen flashed blue, indicating the upload had been successful, a trace of a smile glanced across her lips. Now it was just a question of the execution code. She looked at the readout of the smaller machine. No change. Was it not accepting the disc? This was the machine she'd been ordered to come to, she was sure of that; corridor 12 room 7b. With the chance of success slimming each moment, she cancelled the disc, blew on it, and pushed it back into the drive.

Then the alarms began.

Trying to quell her rising fear, the mutoid reached for the communicator she'd been given. Thumbing it on, she headed for the door and entered the corridor. The little device searched for a connection.

"Mutoid!" A man's voice. One she knew all too well. "Halt!"

Thrusting the communicator behind her, she turned. "Yes commander?" she managed.

Her bluff didn't work. The man had spotted something in her hands and, twisting her wrist cruelly, forced her to drop it. As it landed on the floor, the man recognised the object. He was just about to crush it with his foot, when he paused. "Let's find out who you wanted to speak to," he muttered, picking up the device. He stalked off down the corridor, dragging her behind him. Arriving at communications, he tossed the gadget to a technician.

"I want to know if this is transmitting and where it's being received." The technician took a moment to recover from the abruptness of the request. "Well don't just stand there man. Move!" Then, turning on his own communicator, "Pursuit ships, prepare for emergency launch!"

"What's the emergency, Space Commander?"  
"Blake. He's close. And he's not escaping this time!"

The technician did his job efficiently. "Space Commander? It's broadcasting a local, highly focused ultra high frequency wave."  
"Range?"  
"Limited," the man read the results of the computer's search as they appeared, "within the solar system... the moon, sir. It's transmitting to the moon."

"Pursuit ships launch!" exclaimed Travis. "Your target is behind the moon."  
As the launch confirmations came through, Travis looked at the mutoid. "Now, let's see what other secrets you hold..."

* * *

"There's been a launch," said Vila. "Two, no wait, three pursuit ships. Time to intercept 2 minutes. Blake..." He didn't attempt to keep the anxiety from his voice. Blake turned to Orac.

"Well Orac?"  
"Well? Is that a question?"  
"Has it worked?" Blake could barely contain his frustration.

"No. It has failed, as I predicted it would."

Blake punched the sofa, his anger finally getting the better of him. "I was sure we had a chance!"

Avon glanced over, his eyes accusing. "You were 'sure'? That somehow makes it all worthwhile. Sometimes, Blake, you should rely on something other than luck and blind optimism. The most powerful computer in the universe agreed with me and yet, you still went ahead!"  
"All right, Avon," retorted Blake, "you've made your point."

"Have I?" said Avon dangerously, "because I don't think you've grasped the scale of your failure."

"Blake, those pursuit ships," began Vila. But Blake cut him off with a glare. Summoning all his restraint, he addressed Avon.

"Really? Why don't you remind me?"

Avon paused to gather his thoughts. "Well now. We've just given away our position in the middle of Federation Space. Our, _your_ , mutoid plan is in tatters, as our only prototype has just been captured."

"You don't know that!"

"What else could it have been Blake... the pursuit ships decided to go on a picnic? We are no nearer to uploading my code into the Federation system which increases the likelihood of you continuing your ridiculous quest to locate Star One." He stole a glance at Gan's empty chair. "All in all, I'd say 'failure' covers it."

"Blake!" Vila called.

"Jenna, get us out of here!" snapped Blake.

"If you leave Blake, the mutoid will die," Cally reminded him. "Are you prepared to sacrifice her?"

Blake had fire in his eyes. "I would sacrifice all the mutoids to bring down the Federation. No sacrifice is too large."

"Plasma bolt running!" shouted Vila. "Bearing directly... hold on everybody!"

Desperately, Avon lunged for the force wall activator. He flipped the switch a moment too late and Liberator lurched from the impact.

"Jenna!" Blake said accusingly. Picking herself off the deck, Jenna glowered at him before increasing the thrust, changing course to skim the moon.

_Information: The link with the subject will terminate in 15 seconds._

* * *

Space Commander Travis enjoyed a good interrogation. It was one thing at which he excelled. Despite currently not being an officer in the Federation, over the years he'd acquired a good many resources. He'd never had trouble with mutoids before. Their ability to unquestioningly follow orders, was what had drawn him to using them in the first place. He was all set to begin the questions when the pursuit ships' reports started to come in. His ships had actually caught the Liberator unawares. She was damaged and limping to the edge of the system. He clenched his fist, triumph gleaming in his eye. _I told you, Blake. One day, you would have nowhere to run. One day, I would be your end._ Turning, he headed for the hanger, "Tell them to prepare my ship!" he ordered. "I'll deal with you later," he pointed at the mutoid. Then stopped, staring at her. Something seemed wrong with the creature. Her eyes were rolling and sweat covered her forehead. Moments later, she gave a piercing scream and collapsed. Travis nodded at a scientist indicating he should check the mutoid, though he already knew the outcome. The mutoid was dead.


	2. Chapter 2

_10 days earlier_

Cally surveyed the litter strewn concourse. She squinted slightly, not due to sunlight but rather from the glare of huge lamps, suspended from the domed roof, high above her head. It was not a natural light and it irritated her eyes. The air tasted stale. Each trader had a market stall, open sided with a wooden roof. She surmised the roof was purely for show as, unless the dome developed a fault, there’d be no need for protection from the elements. Plenty of people were milling about and she couldn't sense any immediate danger. Yet she still felt uneasy. She knew Jenna was close by; out of sight in one of the access chambers to the west. Even though the planet didn’t have a Federation barracks, it still had influence. There weren’t supposed to be any troops on the planet and indeed Cally hadn’t seen any. Yet she couldn’t shake a feeling of apprehension. Purchasing a drink from a vendor, Cally moved off to find a seat.  
A slim man wearing a long coat approached her. She immediately noticed the insignia on his lapel. Shaped like a bird of prey, the small ornament glinted in the light. She touched the cool metal of the bracelet hidden in her pocket and felt reassured. Sliding into a seat to the east of the market and, she hoped, in full view of Jenna, she waited for the man to sit down. He took his time, surreptitiously looking at each trader, searching for something out of place. Cally knew the look in his eyes. He was a man who trusted no one and feared all. She waited.  
Eventually the man addressed her. “This seat taken?” he asked, indicating the chair opposite Cally. She shook her head and he sat. Leaning closer, he asked, “Can you make the evening transport?” Cally knew the response but something made her hesitate. Some extra sense triggered, alerting her to a discrepancy, something untoward.  
“I’m sorry?” she queried.  
“Can you make the evening transport?” pressed the man.  
Cally began to get up, ready to leave, but something about the way the man looked at her, made her stop. She contemplated using her bracelet but knew this was not the time; she was not here to draw attention to herself. She stared at him across the table. Should she give the correct answer and reveal her identity? Her mind cautioned her. But what if this man was the contact? Everything relied upon it and besides, he fitted Jenna’s description. What could possibly go wrong?  
“If I am not detained,” she completed the code. The man relaxed, just slightly, enough for Cally to sense his relief.  
“Harper,” he said by way of introduction.  
“Have you got the access I require?”  
“Yes,” he hesitated, before asking awkwardly, “you’ve got the money?”  
Cally inclined her head towards a bag next to the table. “Half there for you, the rest when we’re in.”  
“We? So it’s not a solo job then?” mused the man. Cally felt foolish for not taking more care over her choice of words but it was too late to worry about that now.  
"When's the next set of prisoners due?"  
"Tomorrow. 1500 hours."  
“Security?” she asked.  
“Very light. Two guards bring prisoners in. A communication dampening field is active from about 12 hours before any change over. But, other than that, the Federation consider it to be a low risk installation. They assume the facility’s function is deterrent enough. Besides…” he paused and started his sentence again, “You know they don’t come out the same, don’t you? Listen, I’m sorry about your sister, but if you really think there’s something you can do to help her…” his voice trailed off.  
“You would advise against any action?”  
“Look, I hate the Federation as much as anyone,” he answered in a low voice, “just, I can’t see the value in entering that building.”  
“I will do what I must. Tell me how to get in.”  
Harper glanced around. No one was showing any interest in them. Bringing a folded piece of paper from his pocket he said, “This is a floor plan of the different levels. Gaining entrance shouldn’t be a problem, there’s a service duct on the northeast corner. There’s only a skeleton scientific crew inside -four people, at most, and as I said there are hardly any guards.”  
“How many?”  
“Never more than four; two who bring prisoners in, they then patrol the perimeter, and two to watch the clients. You know, to dissuade them from trying to leave. How long’s your sister been an inmate?”  
“Two weeks.”  
“Two weeks! I don’t want to be the voice of doom but, there’s no good way to say this, there won’t be any of your sister left.”  
“She will have been tortured?”  
“In a manner of speaking. Physically, she’ll be the same. But what made her tick,” he tapped his head, “will have been erased. Sorry to be the one to tell you.”  
Cally looked distressed. “When I am inside, I will send you a message. Follow it and you will find the rest of your money.”  
The man nodded and got up to leave. “Look. I really am sorry to tell you such bad news. Good luck.”  
Once Harper was out of sight, Cally rose and made her way across the square. About half way across, she became aware of someone walking behind her.  
“Did you get the floor plans?” asked Jenna, softly. Cally nodded. “Did he believe you? About your ‘sister’?” Cally again nodded. Jenna, satisfied, said nothing more until they were in a quiet back alley.  
“Well done, Cally. It’s been a while since I last saw Harper and we parted on slightly difficult terms.”  
“He was part of the Smuggler’s Guild?”  
“Yes and no. It’s complicated. I haven’t time to explain it.” She pressed the call button and spoke into her bracelet. “Vila? We’re ready to come up.”  
No response.  
“Vila? Avon? Blake?”  
"Perhaps the dampening field is already active," said Cally.  
"What field?"  
Cally explained what Harper had told her while Jenna tried a couple more times but the communicator remained stubbornly silent. Jenna and Cally exchanged glances. It appeared that, for now, they were on their own. They turned and headed back onto the concourse and froze. Four Federation soldiers were on the far side of the market, talking to the store owner who had sold Cally her drink. The man pointed vaguely in the direction Cally had gone and the soldiers looked towards their position. Cally and Jenna quickly ducked back round the corner.  
"Interesting timing," muttered Jenna, "come on." They headed further down the alley, away from the troops.


	3. Chapter 3

The alley led into another square, virtually identical to the one they had just left except this one had been opened up to traffic. A public transit vehicle stop was just next to where they had entered so they rapidly got on. Fortunately, the automated system recognised the few coins Jenna threw into its receptor and the vehicle pulled away. Moments later, armed troops burst from the alley. Jenna and Cally shrank down below window height, to avoid detection.  
“It seems Harper wasn’t as trustworthy as you thought,” said Cally. Jenna didn’t reply. Whilst it was true that they’d had their disagreements, she couldn’t bring herself to admit he would betray her. The planet was known to be hostile to 'offworlders' but they'd gone to great lengths to look like they'd been life long planet dwellers. Could someone else have reported them? She risked sitting up and looking over her shoulder. The troopers were dispersing, unsure where their quarry had gone. Straightening up she said, “We need to find somewhere to wait until the next phase can start. Do you think the dampening field will be deactivated before the prisoners arrive?”  
“No. Or at least, if Harper was telling the truth, it won’t be.”

Jenna contemplated the fact they were on their own, at least for now. “Right, well we need somewhere we can lie low. I don't want to be out after dark, if at all possible."

* * *

Cally was unsure of their accommodation. Although a gaudy sign above the window had declared _Best Rooms in Town,_ she could see little evidence to support that claim. The rotten window frame, surrounding a grimy window, let in a cold draught. The cracked, tiled floor was covered in grime and the bed was far from comfortable.

A burly man had answered the intercom when they had pressed the buzzer. His gruff manner was tinged with anger, as if they’d disturbed him in the middle of doing something important. However, the prospect of money won him over and when the door had fully opened, he’d become sickeningly obsequious. Nothing was too much for such ‘bootifool laydees.’ He’d asked many questions, apparently to complete the booking form, both Cally and Jenna had been relieved to get to their room, such as it was.

It was decided Cally would take first watch while Jenna rested. Sitting at the window, Cally stared down the deserted street. They’d chosen this hostel because it was on a street corner and therefore, had good sight lines. They were miles from their target, the installation, which was situated on the outskirts of town. On the transport though, they’d studied a route map pinned to the wall. There were several routes which ran past it, as well as an extensive underground system. Cally had heard Blake speak of ancient times on Earth where trains had run beneath city streets. It appeared that it was similar here. She wondered how alike this planet was to the Earth of old. It seemed the planet held little interest to the Federation as its presence was so limited, yet that was no guarantee of safety.

A faint thud reached her ears and Cally became alert. While she tried to analyse the noise - a door closing perhaps?- she scanned the street. The lighting was poor and she strained her eyes for any hint of danger. Just as she became convinced she’d imagined it, a figure dressed in a long black coat, crossed the road. From where she sat, Cally couldn’t see who it was but the individual’s height and build matched that of their host. Even as she watched, he met another man, this one wearing a distinctive helmet.  
“Jenna, wake up! We need to move.”

Jenna was on her feet in a moment. She didn’t wait for an explanation but headed straight for the door. As silently as possible, the two eased their way down the carpeted stairs and out through the back door; into the backstreet. A crash came from behind them as the front door was smashed in.

“I cudda opened it for yous” complained an angry voice, “yous didn’t need ta wreck it!”

Cally and Jenna darted into the night.

The reports came back: empty. “Track them,” ordered squad commander Jones. Although there were only a handful of troops on this backwater planet, she had earned her place and demanded respect. Jones had been frustrated earlier in the day when her prey had escaped but this time it was going to be different. Though, after the call from the informer, she’d had little time to deploy her force, she had spread her net wisely. It would only be a matter of time before these off-worlders, whoever they were, would be apprehended. She'd left them one route; the transit system. She walked to her command vehicle and joined Franks, her technician. “Link audio for all transports in the area. When they get on a transport, I want to know where they go.”

Cally peered round a dilapidated wall. “Clear,” she murmured and they moved off. Escape had been slow since the Federation had shown up but at least they had evaded capture. By keeping to the darkest corners and hiding in derelict buildings, they’d avoided the troopers. Just. Their goal came into view, a transportation craft. They’d already covered a fair distance and felt they should be out of the Federation's reach. Nevertheless, it was with with great caution that they approached the vehicle and got on. It was only when it had started moving that Cally let out a breath she didn’t realise she’d been holding.

“I’m beginning to get the feeling we’re not wanted,” said Jenna. Cally nodded grimly. “Where shall we get off?”

“Somewhere far from here, I think.” She studied the map on the wall. “How about here?”

“East 4? Yes. That should put us far enough out of the way,” agreed Jenna. The transport trundled on.

In her command vehicle, Jones smiled. “Good work, Franks. We have them now. Let’s get over to East 4.”


	4. Chapter 4

Since deciding on their destination, Jenna and Cally settled into an uneasy silence. It would be a long journey as they had to travel across the city. Both tried to get some rest but each time the transport stopped for passengers, Jenna felt her pulse race. The mission was not proceeding to plan and, given the option, she would have pulled out. She thought again about Harper. When she had first known him, he'd been confident to the point of arrogance, with an easy smile. He was one of those people who made you feel anything was possible, almost like Blake back on the London. Jenna had met him, quite by chance, during one of her early independent operations. The Federation had been expanding rapidly at that point, and she'd taken a charter bringing medical supplies into sector four. Jenna had set the whole trade up and was due to turn a nice profit. Everything had gone smoothly until a random Federation patrol had looked a little too closely at her manifest and she'd found herself faced with a stark choice; prison or death. Jenna had always told herself she would rather die than find herself in the clutches of the Federation. She grimaced as she remembered her hands keying in the sequence to overload her drive engines. Then, moments before they went critical, her communicator had bleeped. That interruption saved her life. And it had been down to Harper.

The, now deserted, transport slowed and Cally looked up. A large sign outside announced their arrival at East 1; they were through the western districts already. She peered through the window, into the lightening gloom outside. It wouldn't be long until daylight and they could begin the next phase of the plan. She was unsure of their chances of success, the Federation had located them and Harper was probably the reason. In which case, it was likely the Federation knew why they were here. Her and Jenna should begin the next phase as soon as possible. She was about to ask Jenna's opinion when a single passenger entered the vehicle, paid and made her way to a seat. The woman wore a dark coat and scarf. Her hat was pulled low and little of her face was visible. Judging by the way she walked, she must have been old, her stooping figure cut a miserable sight. As she came down to find a seat, the motion of the transport restarting caused her to lose her balance. Cally forgot all about talking, it would be no good someone overhearing their discussion so she, telepathically, told Jenna what she wanted to do. Jenna, also aware of the passenger, simply nodded her head in agreement. Though the woman had done nothing to cause them alarm, Jenna shifted her position slightly, readying herself. Cally watched her carefully as she passed them. The woman, hesitatingly, made her way to a seat. Cally allowed her gaze to linger a moment longer and it was then that the woman looked up, directly into Cally’s eyes. Despite her apparent age, the woman’s eyes glinted with an intense fury. For a split second, it seemed as if the entire transport had been consumed by the power of her sight. Then, abruptly, the subdued lighting returned and everything returned to normal. Jenna didn’t seem to have noticed anything and Cally was prepared to try and rationalise it away except she was left with an uncomfortable feeling, dread. Shaking slightly, She turned round.

East 2 depot came into view. Though the sky still was still murky, there was a definite brightness to it. Cally didn’t take much in, still aware of the woman’s eyes boring into her neck. The transport pulled in and Cally heard the woman rising, edging closer.

_Jenna, be ready. That passenger… there’s…something wrong_

Jenna inclined her head slightly, indicating she understood. For the next few seconds the two sat frozen to the spot, only their eyes moving, looking for any signs of danger. After what seemed like an age, the woman passed them and left the transport. Moments later, they were on the move again.

Jenna dropped her head in relief and allowed herself a grin. The entire incident had been nothing- just some old woman. She wondered when she’d become so paranoid. Perhaps Vila’s influence was rubbing off on her.

"Did you feel it?” whispered Cally; clearly still deeply troubled. “Those eyes. There was something in them… an anger.”

“No. I never looked directly at her. It was probably nothing.”

Cally seemed far from convinced but before she could elaborate further, something caught her eye. “What’s that?”

Jenna followed her gaze and bent and to pick up something from the floor. It was a small data pad, a single light blinked in one of its corners.

“It must belong to the old woman. She probably dropped it when she tripped.” Impulsively, Jenna pressed the tiny light, activating the device.

A single line of text flashed up on the screen.

* * *

Without having to rely on the transport system, Jones and her team had made it to East 4 with plenty of time to spare. It would be a simple matter of making two arrests, she’d told her troopers. No fuss. No mistakes. Jones had followed standard procedure: 3 men would enter the transport and make the arrests. In the, highly unlikely, event that the targets made it off the transport before being captured, a second team of three men would be waiting in the depot at the disembarkation point. Simply put, there would be no escape. Before long, these two fugitives would be in custody. Jones knew she’d been lucky, being at the right place and the right time to witness a known trouble maker talking to an off-worlder. That in itself would raise her profile and improve her promotion prospects, but she’d also been wise to let the meeting play out. The revealing of the second spy was potentially her ticket off planet. Even as she waited, the outdated computers at her base were sifting through possible identity matches. The Federation had plenty of enemies. If these two were high profile enough…

Jones brought herself back to earth as the familiar whining sound of a transport percolated her day dream. Soon, the twin lights on the front of the vehicle hove into view. Her targets wouldn't be on this transport; it came from the north but soon they would arrive. Telling her troops to ready themselves, Jones headed back to the command vehicle.

Opening the door, she settled herself down, ready for the show. “Not long now," she murmured.


	5. Chapter 5

Becoming increasingly concerned, Jones looked at the vehicle’s clock. The target transport was late. This would not have normally concerned her, public transport had its own unique attitude towards punctuality, but as the minutes ticked by, she was force to acknowledge that something was wrong. The comm beeped. “Report!” she said, making no attempt to hide her irritation.

“The transport is late, Commander. It is possible something has happened to it.”

Jones resisted the urge to shout. “Yes. It is _possible_. Why don’t you go and find out what happened?” The line went dead. “Franks. Get on to central. See if they know anything.”

Somehow, she doubted they would. Central on this planet was little more than a glorified office full of self important fools. Jones did not rate their intelligence gathering skills.

“Commander?” The radio reactivated. “The depot is reporting a malfunction in the transport’s drive computer.”  
“Track it.”  
“That’s just it, Sir. We can’t. It’s off the grid.”

“What’s its last position?”

“It disappeared somewhere between East 3 and 4, approximately 10 minutes ago.”

Jones was ready to explode. The suspects had a 10 minute lead on her now. Someone had tipped them off.

“Sir,” Franks cut through her thoughts, “Central report an accident. I think involving our transport. There’s been an explosion near East 3 and the transport was caught in the blast.”

Jones made up her mind quickly. Ordering her men to return to their vehicles, the convoy set off for East 3.

* * *

Cally stared at the 5 words on the screen.

_This could hurt a bit._

Puzzled, she turned to Jenna, “Is that meant for us?” It seemed unlikely but what other explanation was there? Just how compromised had the mission become? Before Jenna had a chance to answer, a loud crack sounded from outside the transport. Moments later, the vehicle swerved violently into oncoming traffic, sending Jenna and Cally to the floor. Alarms blared as the transport started to weave back and forth across the hoverway. Getting unsteadily to her feet, Jenna moved towards the front of the vehicle.

“What are you doing?” Cally yelled, as another violent shock shook them.

“Perhaps I can get it under control,” shouted Jenna, “these transports are all automated but there has to be an override somewhere!” But reaching the front only confirmed her worst fears. Whatever had caused the creaking had mangled the interface. There was no way to tame the craft. Cally arrived next to her, registered the look of anger in Jenna’s eyes and turned to more practical matters. “How do we get off?”

They both looked at the door, its heavy glass panels firmly closed beneath a warning, “Do not Disembark while Vehicle is in Motion.” Lunging for the door, and completely ignoring the sign, they threw their combined weight against it. A wisp of smoke snaked from the control console, followed by sparks.

With increased desperation, Cally and Jenna assaulted the door again and again but it was no use, they were trapped. The transport continued swinging, picking up speed with each arc, like a demented pendulum. Jenna reached for her teleport bracelet. She knew it was futile but, at this point, she was desperate enough to try anything. The smoke, now pouring from the machine, choked her as she struggled to contact Liberator.

Static answered her call.

Coughing and motion sick, they headed back down the aisle, trying to locate an emergency exit. With a deafening screech, the transport lurched into a tight turn and the women were thrown off balance. They landed in a heap next to a window. Barely able to see, their lungs burning, they rested for a moment.

“We’re slowing,” wheezed Jenna.

Seconds later, they came to an abrupt halt. The window in the door exploded and two people came on board. The last thing Cally remembered, before passing out, was being lifted.

* * *

“Hello,” a man’s voice. One Cally recongnised. “How are you feeling?”

Opening her eyes, she tried to focus on the sound. She was aware of someone sitting up nearby. Then Jenna’s incredulous voice, “Harper?”

“You were both in a little accident. Nothing too serious. We arrived in time to get you out before the transport exploded.”

“Exploded?”

“Yes. Don’t worry, it was a calculated risk.”  
“A calculated risk – what are you talking about?” asked Jenna.  
“My message, on the tablet, I knew roughly where the vehicle would come to rest but there was bound to be a margin of error. As it was, we had nearly a full minute to spare.” He smiled.

“Why didn’t your message just tell us to get off? It would have been far less risky,” Jenna glared.

“Because it took too long to track you down. We are having to follow the Feds. That’s not easy. It was only when I realised they were monitoring the communication channels on all transports that I worked out where you were. If you’d said you were getting off, they would have heard. So I thought a warning was more appropriate.”  
“You call that a warning? We were almost killed!”

Harper shook his head. “It was still better than capture. The one chasing you is called Jones. At the moment, she doesn’t know who you are. Just two offworlders who broke quarantine, but with her interrogation techniques… she can be ruthless. Things could have got very nasty for both of you and, of course, Blake.”

“Why did you not warn me at the market?” asked Cally.

“I didn’t know Jones was on to you then. It was only as I left the market, and walked past the troopers, that I started to suspect. I didn’t have time to warn you.”

Cally stood up. “Thank you,” she said simply.

Jenna didn’t look wholly convinced. However, forcing her doubts to the back of her mind, she asked, “What time is it?”

“14.00 hours.”  
“Right,” said Jenna. “We’d better get going.”

A hooded figure entered the room. The woman from the transport.

“You!” breathed Jenna.

“You already know Jysell, my second.”  
“It was you who sabotaged the transport?” asked Cally.

Jysell nodded . “I planted the computer disruptor bug on the main console as I left. Then, as the vehicle pulled away, I stuck a small explosive charge on the side.”  
  


“You still mean to go on with your plan?” said Harper.

Jenna nodded.

“You will require our help. Jones will be suspicious after the accident. It will not take her long to realise you are not dead.”

They followed Harper to the door, with Jenna wondering how far she could trust him.


	6. Chapter 6

Jenna reluctantly admitted to herself that they had, indeed, needed Harper. He’d taken them in his small transport to the edge of the facility’s huge compound. Without him, there’d have had no chance of arriving in time to witness the next set of prisoners entering the building. He’d tried to insist that he or Jysell accompany them further and, much as Jenna would have liked to keep a close eye on them, the mission would not succeed if they came with them. She was uneasy about what action Harper would take while her and Cally were inside. Eventually, Harper had agreed to provide back up and monitor Federation chat, just in case they were discovered. He’d insisted Jenna took one of his communicators, in case she needed help. Jenna had silently decided to dispose of it at the first opportunity but it was agreed that Harper would wait three blocks away and monitor from there.

As she stood, looking for the maintenance duct on the building’s perimeter, she wondered if Harper had truly changed. After the sector 4 incident, he’d taken her under his wing, so to speak; shown her the tricks needed to survive, quiet routes in and out of systems, opened up new and lucrative smuggling opportunities. She’d started to trust him.

Fool.

Jenna shivered. Yes, Harper had taught her things but she’d been blinded, ignoring the most important lesson: trust no one. She’d vowed never to be taken in again. And yet here she was, on a remote world, accompanied by a man who was, at best, amoral. Furthermore, she realised she trusted Blake, the man who’d sent her here. Perhaps, Jenna reflected bitterly, she hadn’t learned the lesson at all.

Cally passed some binoculars across to her. She’d been observing the line of people being escorted into the building. They were typical Federation fodder. Their body language suggested they’d lost their pride and will to resist a long time ago.

“I think either number six or number eight,” said Cally.

Jenna looked closely. Those two were probably the best candidates but neither were a very good fit. Still, it didn’t look like they had much of a choice.

“Not exactly what I was hoping for.”

“You see an alternative?”

Jenna shook her head. “Right let’s get this over with.”

They raced across the compound, hiding behind containers as much as possible. As far as they could tell, they arrived at the ingress point without having been seen.

“Right, keep an eye out Cally,” Jenna breathed as she reached up to wrench the cover plate free. Cally looked round nervously. If Harper had told her the truth, two perimeter guards could appear at any moment. It didn’t take long for Jenna to release the metal covering and climb into the air duct. Cally quickly scrambled up after her.

“We will need to move quickly. They will have already started to process the prisoners,” Cally said.

It was uncomfortable in the vent. Bent double, they eased their way towards the main detention area. Harper’s map was accurate in terms of directions but the scale was completely wrong, and it was a back-breaking fifteen minutes before they heard voices and knew they were nearing their destination. Without making a sound, they moved towards a grate and peered cautiously through. The pipe they were in ran across the ceiling of a processing room. Two bored guards stood by the door. Cally guessed there had not been trouble here for a long time, years maybe. A woman, who Cally took to be a scientist, sat at the only desk in the room. She asked questions of the prisoner in a monotonous tone, as if she’d done so a thousand times before.

According to the map, the rooms they wanted were nearby so, instead of listening to any more of the conversation, they shuffled their way further along the vent. They’d passed several empty rooms, clearly some of the prisoners had already been processed, when Jenna raised her hand for them to stop.

“There’s someone in this room,” she said. “Let’s hope it’s someone we can use.” Cally nodded in agreement.

Cally stared down at the prisoner who was slowly getting changed into prison garments. She looked closely and then made up her mind. “I think that’s as good as we are going to get,” she whispered. “Ready?”

Jenna sighed, “Ready!”

Together, as quietly as possible, they eased the grating away from the wall. If the prisoner had been surprised, she didn’t show it. As they dropped to the floor, Cally said, “Don’t be afraid. We’re here to help.”  
The prisoner didn’t say anything. She’d probably been on heavy sedatives for a few days, Cally realised.

“What’s your name?” asked Jenna.

A confused expression crossed the woman’s face, trying to remember. Hesitatingly, she answered, “Kaya.”

Quickly, Cally took her by the arm. “Kaya, I need you to trust me. Stop putting on those overalls and give them to Jenna.”

Almost reluctantly, Kaya complied. “Good,” smiled Cally, “now put this on.” She handed her a teleport bracelet and retreated back to the vent.

As Jenna helped Kaya up, she heard footsteps approaching the door. Rapidly, she closed the hatch and turned round just as the door opened. A guard entered. Jenna held her breath, wondering if he would notice a different prisoner was standing in front of him.

“You still not ready?” he growled. “Listen, if you want your rations tonight, you follow instructions. Now get changed!” He turned and stalked out of the room.

It had been close, but it seemed that the guard had been duped. Jenna turned back to the grating. “Looks like Blake was right, the guards must only have only just met the prisoners at handover,” peering up at them she added, “get back as soon as you can.”  
“I will,” answered Cally. “Good luck!” and with that her and Kaya were gone.


	7. Chapter 7

“Jenna, Cally? Respond please,” Vila tried to keep the strain for his voice but, turning to Blake, his face revealed his anxiety. Blake wasn’t expecting a reply but he’d had hoped Avon had been able to fix the problem this time.  
“Well, Avon?” he sighed.  
Putting down his electronic probe, Avon turned towards him, “As I have already told you, Blake, it’s not a ship based communication issue. I can’t repair something which isn’t broken.”  
“Are you sure? Could you have missed something?”  
Avon raised an indignant eyebrow but said nothing. Exasperated, Blake addressed Orac, “What do you make of it?”  
Orac buzzed, “Please be more specific.”  
“Why can’t we contact them? What does your analysis show?”  
“As Kerr Avon has stated, the problem is not within the Liberator’s systems. Further study suggests the planet has a localised dampening field. Until the field dissipates, communication is impossible.”  
“There must be something we can do!” blurted out Vila.  
Avon was unimpressed, “I’m going to bed.”  
“But Cally and Jenna, could be in danger!”  
“I am in no doubt that they are,” said Avon, “they were sent on a foolhardy mission,” he glared at Blake. “There’s nothing we can do and I fail to see the benefit of staying up listening to Blake trying to justify his actions. So I’m going to bed!”  
As he reached the entrance to the corridor a voice came over the comm.

"Liberator, this is Cally, two to teleport."

* * *

Blake handed Kaya a warm drink. "What can you remember about your home?"

They'd been talking for hours and had got very little information. Clearly, the Federation worked on breaking down individuals before sending them to be processed as mutoids. Everything Kaya said was muddled, she contradicted herself and frequently gave up communicating altogether.

_Blake let her rest, on top of everything else she's exhausted._

Blake sighed but was forced to agree. There was no point continuing tonight. "Vila, would you show our guest to her quarters?"

As Vila and Kaya moved off, he turned to Avon.

"What do you think?"

"Kaya is showing signs of extreme mental strain. It might well be that your idea will push her over the edge. It's unlikely to work, Blake."

"But it is possible?" 

Avon looked Blake directly in the eyes. "Yes," he paused, "but the chances of success are negligible. And, it will take time."

"Then we'll begin in the morning. Make it as quick as possible."

"Well, speed will be of the essence, won't it?"

Blake looked a little confused, "We already knew that Avon. We'll need to work quickly to give Kaya's mind the best chance of recovering from whatever the Federation has done to it."

Avon smiled, "Oh, I don't mean for Kaya's mental health. Has it crossed your mind yet that if the Federation expect humans to arrive, ready for processing, in that cognitive state, then Jenna is going to find it difficult to maintain her cover for long? And, if they discover her mental faculties are still functioning at a high level..."

"They'll... attempt to reverse it," finished Blake, with a look of revulsion.

* * *

"How are you feeling?" asked Cally.

An uncertain look spread over Kaya's face. "I'm... I'm not sure. It's like a dream... where I can't tell what's real and..."

"It must be very confusing," Cally reassured her. 

"It's like being able to feel and taste for the first time. You were there, in the prison, weren't you? There was another woman... I gave her my overalls."  
Cally smiled. "That's right. Then we brought you here."

"Why?"  
"We need you to help us. Blake will explain soon."

"Will I have to go back?"  
"You do not have to do anything. But yes, we would like you to go back."  
Kaya looked blank as if she was having trouble recalling something. "I do not think I want to go back."  
"You don't need to decide now. You have a lot to think about and everything will be difficult while the suppressants work their way out of your system."

The door opened and Blake walked in. "Good morning, Kaya. It's nice to see you up. Has Cally told you why we brought you here?" Kaya shook her head. Blake paused taking a pill bottle from his pocket. "I'll explain everything in a minute. But first I need you to take one of these, it will help to clear your head."

Kaya looked anxiously at Cally, who gave an encouraging nod. Reaching for some water, Kaya swallowed the pill. "Thank you," said Blake. "Now, I asked you last night, if you could tell me about yourself. Can you remember anything today?"

Kaya sat back down on the bed. "I come from a small planet. We are a peaceful people. We were kind. What we had, we shared," she trailed off, "then they came... they killed my parents, my brother. I watched and screamed but they laughed. They laughed as my family died. They led me away. I was transported off world. They said my brain was faulty that I'd make a good mutoid. I tried to escape, to run. They caught me, said I had spirit. I was thrown in with and others. Every day we wanted to escape. They gave us food and water and every day it was harder to think.

We followed orders. Not at first. At first we ran. But they caught us. They punished us. Killed some of us. They kept laughing like it was a game for them. They gave us orders and we followed them. That made the pain stop. And they put lights in our eyes and stuck things on our heads and stopped us sleeping. And all the time it was harder to think.

I don't want to go back!" sobbing, she collapsed on the sheets. Blake and Cally moved to comfort her.

"Kaya," Blake said softly, "we can take you away from all of that. But first we need you to do something for us."


	8. Chapter 8

"Attention!" the guard's voice erupted from the speaker in the corner of Jenna's room, abruptly waking her, "all subjects are to report to the supervisor's room immediately. That is all."

Jenna half crawled, half fell from her bunk. She couldn't remember how many days she had been imprisoned; something in the air, a suppressant of some sort, clouded her mind. A heaviness pervaded the complex, eating away at her conscious, leaving her empty. There was just one exception, the supervisor's room. In there, Jenna was able to think clearly. Whatever chemicals infused the rest of the base were neutralised in that one office. Jenna had grown to love those few, precious, minutes of each day when she felt in full control of her faculties, the incessant drone of the Supervisor being the only unwelcome addition. Inevitably though, her mind would start to dwell on Blake and when he would get her out. Increasingly, she found herself angry and frustrated by his seeming inactivity.

Groggily making her way down the corridor, she joined the others outside the metal door to the supervisor's office. It was the one internal door, so far as she could tell, in the whole complex which was locked. Jenna had been surprised, all those days ago, when she'd found the door to her cell (or quarters as the guards called it) unlocked. But, maybe due to the air, Jenna had felt little desire to explore or look for a means of escape. After all, she wasn't there to draw attention to herself. What was it Blake had said? _It will be a few days, just long enough to give the mutoid the necessary training._ She scoffed at how gullible she'd been, agreeing to go on the mission.

No-one made eye contact or spoke as the door slid open. They entered a clean, bright room which was in complete contrast to the rest of the base. Behind a desk sat a woman, dressed in a crisp uniform. The desk was bare save for a single sealed test tube containing a light red liquid. The door closed and Jenna tried to inhale as much of the 'fresh' air as she could. Even after just a few breaths, she began to feel better.

"As you know," began the woman, "you have been selected because of your capacity for learning. Each of you will contribute to the smooth running of the Federation. Your past is no longer important, your family -irrelevant. All that concerns you now is the future," she paused to gather her thoughts. "We have finished basic training. You are now fully versed in regulations and punishments. So now we move onto your assigned role. This facility has been developed to help train you in data management. Through that door," she nodded her head towards an exit to her left, "is an exact replica of a Federation Data Centre. Once you have learned how to operate the technology, you will be transferred to a hub, from where a commanding officer will make use of you."

_So Blake's right. It is a Data Training Centre. Maybe this is worth it after all._

"One additional item. We require all of you to begin taking this health supplement," she picked up the vial from the desk. "For now, you will simply drink the contents. Later, we will find other means... It is a simple solution which will aid your concentration and make you more efficient. You will find your first dose at your work station next door."

Jenna sat at her computer station and picked up the test tube. What did it contain? Jenna had heard the rumours, of course, that mutoids were like vampires, she'd never believed the whispers but... was it possible, could this liquid be in some way connected to the stories? What if she refused to drink? Her cover would almost certainly be exposed. Besides which, even in just the few moments she'd had away from the Supervisor's room, she could feel her free will failing. Swallowing as quickly as possible, she downed the vial. 

Turning to her duties, Jenna accessed the computer. Even after just a cursory glance, she could see it would be no good for contacting Liberator so, sighing, she began to input the data stream which was printed on her desk.

Much later, in the canteen, Jenna stared down at her rations. Whilst they had never been generous, her hunger had at least been satisfied, just. Today's portion however, was meagre, to say the least. She sensed confusion from her fellow prisoners too. As she considered her options, and whether this was a punishment for some undisclosed misdemeanour, a guard placed a bag on her table. Hungrily, one of the inmates ripped it open and, to her disappointment, saw four vials (one for each person at the table realised Jenna bitterly) fall out. They all eyed the test tubes suspiciously. "Drink it!" commanded the guard, "there's nothing else on offer today." 

For the briefest of moments, Jenna felt a great anger. She would have liked nothing better than to rip the breathing mask from his face and force him to drink the stuff. Yet, even as the image faded, she found herself reaching for the cylinder and tipping its contents into her mouth.

Next day, in the computer area, Jenna found another vial had been placed at her console. She felt an element of relief to see it there. This time, she drank without delay and savoured the taste; it seemed sweeter and more refreshing.

 _Hurry Blake,_ she thought, _I can't resist what they are doing to me much longer._


	9. Chapter 9

It was late into Liberator's night cycle, when Avon finally stopped tinkering. Kaya had gone to bed but none of the crew had settled yet. Each, lost in thoughts about Jenna, had absent mindedly made their way to the flight deck, just in case any news came through. Blake cut through their reveries when he noticed Avon had finished.

"Will it work, Avon?"

Avon turned and seemed surprised to see a full room. "Yes. It will boost the communicator's signal. Whether it will make it powerful enough a reach Liberator, depends on our distance from Kaya. And since you've been singularly vague about where we will be, I cannot be certain it will be sufficient."

"As long as it will boost it to 4000 spacials, it will be fine."

"Blake," Vila cut in, "4000 will place us within easy reach of the Federation's scanners."

"They won't know we are there," replied Blake, firmly.

Vila was unconvinced, "I don't like it."

"There's another thing," said Avon. "In order to produce the necessary power from the terriel cell, and reduce its size sufficiently, I've had to... take some liberties. This cell will activate when the communicator is switched on and will be a one time use."

"That sounds fine, Avon. Kaya will only need to use it once," said Cally.

"Yes... but," Avon stared into mid-distance, "I had to disable the safety protocols. Once it starts emitting its charge, there's no way to stop it. The charge will keep building until, eventually, it overloads and destroys the cells."

"How dangerous is it?" asked Vila.

Avon paused. "If Kaya's still in contact with it, it will kill her."

Blake sighed, "How long, Avon?"

"Approximately, 5 minutes."

Silence.

"Five minutes," repeated Blake. "It's time enough. We will be ready and waiting for the signal, we can have Zen ready to move at a moment's notice. We can easily collect her in 5 minutes, with time to spare. We continue with the mission."

"We must tell Kaya, so she can make an informed decision," said Cally.

"No," replied Blake, more forcefully than he'd intended. "It's irrelevant. Kaya will be long gone by the time the five minutes has elapsed. We stick to the plan."

As Blake left the flight deck, Vila and Cally exchanged uneasy glances.

Next morning, Kaya looked around at the crew, gathered on the bridge. The plan seemed simple enough and she was confident she could achieve it. "So you want me to swap a data file from one machine to another."  
  
"Basically," replied Blake, sitting down next to her. "It shouldn't take long."

"Will I be at risk?"  
Blake considered, "As I said, if all goes to plan, you should be fine. But I can't guarantee your safety. You don't have to agree to our request."

"What is the data for?"

"We are aiming to topple the Federation, Kaya. The data will provide us with the means to do that; without any bloodshed, a clean break. You'll be introducing the Federation's computers to a new piece of code which will shut down a very powerful, and dangerous, computer -one which we can't find."

"And then you come and get me?"

"That's right. Normally, we would give you a teleport bracelet, like the one Cally used to get you out. However, the Federation would spot something like that instantly. So you will have a small communicator, easy enough to hide, that way you can tell us when you need to be collected. Avon's been working on a way to get you back."

Avon moved across to Kaya. He held a flat piece of what looked like silver. "This is a terriel cell. Essentially a very slim battery. I've adapted this one to fit your shoe. That way it will avoid detection. As soon as you activate the communicator, the cell will begin charging. It emits a high current which will help us to pinpoint your position and teleport a bracelet to you."

"I'll have an electric charge, in my shoe! Is it safe?"

Blake looked Kaya in the eyes. "For the amount of time you will be wearing it, it will be perfectly safe."

Kaya thought a moment. "When my people were killed by the Federation, I lost everything. They destroyed my life and tried to give it new meaning. I want to show them it has new purpose."

Blake smiled, "Thank you."

Walking into the hold, Blake couldn't help but be impressed. Avon had somehow gathered together a variety of obsolete computers and created a new, working model. Though ungainly in appearance, it could do something important, mimic the behaviour of a Federation Data machine. A dilapidated keyboard was attached to a jumble of wires; feeding into a large computer bank of some sort. An access point lay to one side of the machine and on the other was a much smaller device. Kaya sat nearest to the main computer, watching it intently. A series of lights were the focus of her attention. As the indicator bulbs began to dim, Kaya frantically picked up a small info card and wrestled it into the access slot. Moments later, an alarm sounded and she sat back, exasperated.

"You need to insert the card smoothly," said Avon, glancing round from a monitoring terminal. "Do it like that and you'll set every alarm in the building off!"

Kaya spun round, "Come and see if you can do it smoothly in the allotted time," she snapped.

The machine briefly shut down, before powering on again. The sounds of the cooling fans reached pitch and Avon indicated it was time to try again. Blake walked across to where Avon was sitting.

"How she doing?" he asked in a hushed voice.

By way of answer, Avon just looked at him, raising an eyebrow. Blake knew all too well what that meant. Avon had already gone to great pains explaining how he was trying to teach Kaya some coding, something which should normally take months. He had a day. But Blake was already uncomfortable with how long Jenna had been isolated, he wanted Kaya to be ready as soon as possible.

"As a matter of fact," Avon's words brought Blake back to the present, "she thinks I ask the impossible. And I'm inclined to agree with her."

"What?" answered Blake, incredulously, "All she has to do is insert a couple of disks."

Avon gave him another of his cutting glances. "It is not just that which is causing problems. It's the timing. Even if she gets the data chip inserted smoothly enough, the second disc -the execute code -only activates one time in seven. If it fails, she has to type a piece of programming. There's a very good chance the alarms will sound before she completes the task."

"A problem with your code, Avon?" asked Blake, amused.

Avon glowered. "There are some codes, Blake, which cannot be predicted. The Federation uses a hex based, multi-part rotating randomised pattern. If I were with Kaya, I could program a work around in time. As it is, this disc is the best I can do. Orac calculates there's a 3.6% chance of success."

"For a chance to destroy Star One, that'll have to do."

The alarm sounded again and Avon quickly moved to silence it. Kaya pushed herself over to them on her chair. "The second disc, Blake. It doesn't always work."  
  
"Avon's just told me Kaya. He's going to fix it."

Avon looked at Blake contemptuously but Blake moved the conversation on. "He was just telling me how you are nearly ready. We are going to get you back on the planet tomorrow, with your new equipment."


	10. Chapter 10

The communication came through sooner than Blake expected. Vila had been monitoring planet chatter during the night rotation, when Harper's message was received. He called Blake and, within minutes, Kaya, Blake and Cally were at the teleport. Avon was last to arrive.

"Is the execution disk working?" asked Kaya anxiously.

"I've been able to improve its success rate. Surprisingly, Orac was helpful but it's still not perfect."

"You don't have to go through with it, Kaya," said Blake. "If you want, we'll retrieve Jenna and drop you on a planet of your choice."

Kaya considered. "No. I want to do this for my family. I want to know that their deaths were the beginning of the Federation's demise. Besides it's not that dangerous, if something goes wrong, I can still be teleported out, can't I?"

Blake nodded and smiled. "We'll be waiting your signal. That part of the plan is set, no matter what."

Avon handed Kaya a small pouch. "This has everything you need. You've already have the tarriel cell in place?"

Kaya nodded then, much to Avon's discomfort, spontaneously hugged everyone. "Blake," she said. "My mother used to say that as long as there were a few good souls in the world, there was hope. After her death and until meeting you -all of you- I doubted her. Now, I know she was right." She and Cally stepped onto the teleport pad.

"Good luck, Kaya. We'll see you soon," said Blake, gently.

The teleport engaged and they vanished.

"There's a worrying thought," said Vila. "If we're the good souls, I'd hate to meet a bad one."

"I'm sure our leader feels it's an appropriate sentiment," said Avon. "After all, he always keeps his conscience clear by ensuring people think they have a choice before following his orders."

"Enough, Avon."

"I still don't see why Cally went with her," said Vila.

"Would you rather have gone?" queried Avon. "Actually, that was one of the few sensible parts of this operation. Cally already knows Harper by sight and, to an extent, the layout of the base. She was the natural choice."

"Yes. Well thank you Avon, for the vote of confidence."

"Oh. It wasn't an expression of confidence, merely a statement of fact. In most other matters, you're taking unnecessary risks. You haven't the faintest idea what they have done to Jenna, for example." 

"Jenna will be fine," Blake replied. Avon thought he heard an element of doubt in his voice. "What have we proved over the last days? That, if we can acquire mutoids early enough, before they have been conditioned, they can be useful. Imagine Avon, a series of mutoid spies working for us throughout the Federation. We could have information on anything! No more ciphers to crack or messages to intercept. We could be permanently one step ahead of the Federation."

"I feel safer already," replied Avon sardonically. 

"We'd always know where to run," said Vila, impressed. "You know, Blake, it's not a bad idea."

Avon remained unconvinced. "It's a matter of practicalities Blake. Each time you want to go through with this, one of the crew will have to be substituted for the mutoid. It's taken days to influence Kaya. Consider what Jenna might have been through, in that time. I can't imagine there being many other volunteers," he looked over at Vila who averted his eyes.

"I have considered it," said Blake angrily. "She knew this mission would not be without risk. But it was a risk I deemed worthwhile!"

"And there is our leader's 'good soul' laid bare," muttered Avon. 

Before Blake could respond, the communicator pinged and a voice whispered, "Teleport!"

As the figures materialised, Blake could see something was wrong. Once fully formed, Jenna fell forward and collapsed on the floor.

"Was she like this on the planet?" asked Blake,

Cally shook her head. "No. Jenna seemed dazed but otherwise normal. Could it have something to do with the teleport?"

"More likely the suppressants she's been exposed to," said Avon as they carried Jenna to the medical room. "What happened?"

"The exchange went smoothly. Harper's co-ordinates put us inside the compound. He was watching the mutoids leaving a large building and each walking to a separate shuttle. When we saw Jenna emerge, we made our way round the perimeter, keeping to the shadows. Just before she reached the transport, we intercepted her and Kaya took her place."

"Kaya boarded the shuttle?" checked Blake.

"Yes. She is on her way now to her new posting."

They carefully lay Jenna down on a bed. She cut a sorry figure, bruised skin, wild hair, perspiring profusely. "Blake?" her eyes tried to focus. "You're late," she tried a smile but grimaced as she was struck with pain.

"Steady," said Blake gently. "You've been through a lot."

Jenna was becoming agitated. "No Blake, you don't understand. I was supposed to take another vial when I got on the transport. You have one don't you? I need it!" She convulsed again.

"Run a medical scan. I want to know what chemicals they've put inside her and weather we can synthesise it."

Jenna raised her head, trying to get closer to Blake. With effort, she whispered, "Blake. That transport..."

"It was to take you to your new posting, Jenna. But you're on Liberator now. You're safe."

"My shuttle was off the books... it was a secret assignment... I was to be taken to s414." Writhing in pain she forced herself to finish, "... my commanding officer was to be, Travis!" And with that, she fell back exhausted.

Blake stared for a moment, his mind whirling. "Avon, get us underway."


	11. Chapter 11

It was proving harder than Kaya expected to act like a true mutoid. Days ago, when she'd left the planet, crammed into a single seat shuttle, she'd noticed the other mutoids had been grouped into threes or fours as they boarded their spacious transports. Clearly, Kaya was being treated differently. For a brief moment, fear had gripped her. What if something had gone wrong? No. It was unimportant. She could contact Blake, if she needed to, but there was no need to worry, yet. As she settled back in her seat and pressed the 'ready' switch, the tiny control panel lit up. The auto launch sequence started and, moments later, the craft rose into the night air. 

Her new commander, Travis, had made Kaya's deception even harder to maintain. He was vicious towards mutoids and Kaya quickly realised that she was not to ask questions. Unsurprisingly, Travis ran a heavily restricted base and the computer section was off limits to all but the technicians. However, Kaya had painstakingly explored the complex and discovered Avon had been right about the room's position. She'd had several attempts to get into the room and knew that her time was starting to run out. Something about the way Travis spoke to her specifically, made her wonder how much longer she could maintain the subterfuge.

Keying in the access code, Kaya entered the computer suite.

* * *

_< Information. Liberator is 5 minutes from the target system.>_

"How do you want to go about this, Blake? What's the plan?" asked Vila.

Blake looked puzzled. "Go about what, Vila?"

"Kaya's rescue," Vila replied, as if it were obvious.

For a moment Blake said nothing. "I don't have a plan Vila."

"No, of course not," muttered Avon.

Blake ignored him. "I don't have _different_ plan," he clarified, "because Travis' involvement doesn't change anything."

"Now wait a minute Blake," began Vila, "it increases the danger to Kaya and I think we should do something about it."

"Your concern for Kaya is touching," said Avon dryly, "but, I wonder, are you primarily concerned with her safety, or yours?"

Vila looked slightly awkward, "Well, think of it like this, Blake. As far as we know, Travis isn't even part of the Federation any more. What's the use of running into him?"

"Actually, he might be right," said Avon. "Blake, we may find that the systems Travis is using are not connected to Star One. In which case..."

"This whole thing is for nothing," concluded Blake. "Yes. I'd already considered that. But it is for something."

Avon sighed. "For freedom?"

"No," Blake answered testily. "For Gan. Even if there's only a remote chance of this working, we have to try. Otherwise his death counts for nothing. He saw the value in destroying Star One. He'd want us to continue."

Avon took a step closer and stared into Blake's eyes. "Gan was following _you_ Blake. That's all. He wasn't interested in destroying Star One! He went because of you; not for politics, not for freedom. _You_. Don't delude yourself into thinking otherwise."

Blake remained silent, but anger flashed behind his eyes. He didn't want to confront those thoughts, not again. Now wasn't the time to start second guessing himself.

"Zen. Bring up the star chart for s414. Right. Avon, Vila come and have a look at this."

As the screen activated, Blake picked up the 'pen' which would allow him to draw on the image.

"We have the advantage of surprise. Travis doesn't know we are coming and, with a little luck, we can extract Kaya before he even knows she's gone. I propose we hide Liberator here," he marked the place on the screen, "we'll be close enough to quickly get to Kaya and transport her, but hidden from scans. Thoughts?"

"I don't like it," said Vila simply. "Couldn't we just do a quick fly past and pick her up?"

"She doesn't have a bracelet Vila. We have to wait for her to contact us remember?" replied Blake.

"Are you sure that moon will mask Liberator?" asked Avon.

"Reasonably. Orac?"

The computer buzzed, "What is it? I have important calculations to make."

"Will that moon protect Liberator from Federation scans?"

"It will provide a small amount of interference. There is a 87% chance that the Federation will be able to identify Liberator."

"It's too careless Blake. You're relying on luck against Travis and..." Avon paused and half smiled, "and he's beaten you before."

"He won't this time. Do either of you have a better idea? No? Then we'll continue as planned."

The intercom buzzed. "Blake, it's Cally. Can you come down to medical? Jenna wishes to see you."

* * *

The more Jenna explained what had happened to her, the more Blake regretted sending her to the planet. He was no psychiatrist but even he could see that Jenna's mind had been harmed. 

"And the drugs Blake," whispered Jenna as she gently rocked back and forth. "I drank blood. Except, it wasn't just blood. It was a cocktail of things which gave it the colour of blood... and I couldn't think straight after taking it... and the air, so stuffy and sweet smelling. But the blood. I want more of it. It keeps me calm. It's easier to follow orders, they said, when you take the blood. Do you have any Blake? can you make some?"

Blake shook his head. "We think it would be best for you to have a break from it now Jenna."

Jenna stopped rocking and focused on Blake, her face covered in sweat. Her tone hardened, sounding more like her old self. "Listen Blake. You put me through that ordeal. I trusted you and you abandoned me." She rose to her feet and shakily approached him. "You, the great freedom fighter Roj Blake, had your plan and no one was going to stop you. You play with people's lives, from the comfort of your ship, while everyone else takes the risks. Sometimes you win, sometimes we lose. Like Gan. Were you going to let me lose, Blake? You owe me. I need some of that blood. You owe me that much." Abruptly, she stopped speaking, shook her head as if to clear it and flung her arms round him, "Oh Blake, it was horrible."

"Jenna? Drink this," said Cally. "It will help you rest." Jenna extricated herself from Blake and gratefully took the cup.

"Yes. I am quite tired," she muttered, sipping the drink.

Later, once Jenna had settled, Blake spoke to Cally in the corridor.

"How long has she been like that?"

"Since she came back aboard. Her mood swings have been getting less extreme but whatever was in that blood is taking time getting out of her system. I called you down because she seemed lucid when she was asking for you. I don't know if there's anything I can do to help speed up the healing process."  
  
"Well, I know you'll do what you can, Cally."

"We must prevent the same happening to Kaya. If she is exposed to this sort of treatment for long, it will be extremely damaging. Travis is not merciful towards his prisoners," she winced at the memory. "How do you plan to rescue her?"

Blake avoided the question and instead put a reassuring hand on Cally's shoulder. "Right now, Cally, I need you to look after Jenna."

* * *

Kaya tried not to show fear as she stood in front of Travis. She'd activated the cell and it shouldn't be long before she was teleported. "Yes, commander?"

She was a fraction too slow in hiding the communicator and Travis wrenched it from her hand. _Hurry, Blake._

Travis dragged her back to main control. Shouting instructions as he went. Kaya didn't know why but Travis had leapt to the conclusion that Blake was involved. She'd not given anything away, she was sure. Yet she felt uneasy.

She could feel her foot starting to warm and shifted her balance to take the weight off it. The tarriel cell was behaving as she'd been warned, though it was happening quicker than she'd expected. It didn't matter, that gentle heat represented hope. A smile touched her lips as she watched Travis bellowing orders, vainly trying to work out what she'd done.

But what had she achieved anything? Deep down, Kaya knew she'd failed. The disc hadn't been accepted, Blake and the others wouldn't be able to locate Star One and now she needed to be rescued.

Kaya was alarmed to realise her left foot felt as if it were burning. Did Blake know it was going to heat up so quickly? She thought back; he wouldn't have taken advantage of her, would he?

The control room was a mass of activity with voices reporting in from different stations. Travis was speaking to her but she wasn't paying attention. She heard him tell her he'd deal with her later but by then the pain was such that she knew there would be no 'later'.

Fleetingly, she thought of her mother. Had she been wrong after all? Was it hopeless, could it be that the 'few good souls' were just as tarnished as the rest?

As the heat began to melt her skin, Kaya felt a final, furious roar of defiance course through her body. Travis turned his back and Kaya died with a piercing scream; her mind whirring with thoughts of betrayal.


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Epilogue

Blake sat alone on the command sofa, the only light from Zen's interface. It had been an exhausting 10 hours. The Federation had been relentless. Liberator had been at a disadvantage right from the start when that first plasma bolt had impacted the main drive. No longer able to out pace the Federation, they'd fled as best they could. But the energy banks had got dangerously low and they had come close to being destroyed. In the end, an asteroid field had been their salvation; that and Jenna's skill.

Blake had ordered the others to get some rest. Since the repair circuits would need several days to get the ship back to normal, they had placed Liberator in a low orbit round a small, unpopulated, planet which they hoped was unimportant to the Federation. He let out a deep sigh and rubbed his head.

"Was it worth it Blake?" a voice cut through the solitude.  
"Not now, Jenna."  
"There's never a 'now' though is there, Blake? I wonder how many of us you're willing to kill for your salvation."  
"Jenna," said Blake gently, "this isn't you. This is the drug talking."  
"Believe that, if you want. But drug or no drug, I will say this: Gan and Kaya died because of you and I came close. I'm not prepared to do that again. I stayed with you because Liberator was my best chance of survival. I'm starting to question whether that's still the case. I'm not here for your ideals, Blake or to make the galaxy safer. You're a man obsessed and that obsession, if you're not careful, will get you killed. You don't want to share your plans with me or the crew? Fine. But just know what a dangerous path you walk. I've seen it happen to smugglers. They end up dead, usually at the hand of someone they thought they could trust. If you won't tell me, don't expect me to go along with your plans any more."  
Jenna turned to leave.  
"I'm... sorry," whispered Blake. He could feel tears welling in his eyes; the weight of guilt slowly finding release.

Jenna kept walking.


End file.
